Sprue-Like Intestinal Disease Following Crohn’s Disease

Abstract

A 48-yr old female was reviewed for ongoing symptoms of diarrhea and weight loss following a total colectomy for colitis. Pathological review of the surgical specimens revealed changes of Crohn’s colitis. Subsequent investigations after the colectomy revealed endoscopic evidence of duodenal mucosal scalloping, negative celiac serological studies and moderate to severe changes in villous architecture including crypt hyperplasia with complete villus atrophy and increased numbers of intra-epithelial lymphocytes. No changes were present in the distal small intestine. Over the course of almost a decade, measures directed towards symptom relief were effective. However, in spite of a strict gluten-free diet, repeated endoscopic biopsies of the proximal small bowel remained severely abnormal with persistent crypt hyperplastic villus atrophy. “Sprue-like” intestinal disease occurs in Crohn’s disease limited to the duodenum, mimicking biopsy changes of celiac disease and may represent a post-colectomy complication in Crohn’s disease.